-
- Click Here for more information
- Region
- Águilas
- Alhama de Murcia
- Jumilla
- Lorca
- Los Alcázares
- Mazarrón
- San Javier
-
ALL AREAS & TOWNS
- AREAS
- SOUTH WEST
- MAR MENOR
- MURCIA CITY & CENTRAL
- NORTH & NORTH WEST
- TOWNS
- Abanilla
- Abarán
- Aguilas
- Alamillo
- Alcantarilla
- Aledo
- Alhama de Murcia
- Archena
- Balsicas
- Blanca
- Bolnuevo
- Bullas
- Cañadas del Romero
- Cabo de Palos
- Calasparra
- Camping Bolnuevo
- Campo De Ricote
- Camposol
- Canada De La Lena
- Caravaca de la Cruz
- Cartagena
- Cehegin
- Ceuti
- Cieza
- Condado de Alhama
- Corvera
- Costa Cálida
- Cuevas De Almanzora
- Cuevas de Reyllo
- El Carmoli
- El Mojon
- El Molino (Puerto Lumbreras)
- El Pareton / Cantareros
- El Raso
- El Valle Golf Resort
- Fortuna
- Fuente Alamo
- Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
- Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
- Isla Plana
- Islas Menores & Mar de Cristal
- Jumilla
- La Azohia
- La Charca
- La Manga Club
- La Manga del Mar Menor
- La Pinilla
- La Puebla
- La Torre
- La Torre Golf Resort
- La Unión
- Las Palas
- Las Ramblas
- Las Ramblas Golf
- Las Torres de Cotillas
- Leiva
- Librilla
- Lo Pagan
- Lo Santiago
- Lorca
- Lorquí
- Los Alcázares
- Los Balcones
- Los Belones
- Los Canovas
- Los Nietos
- Los Perez (Tallante)
- Los Urrutias
- Los Ventorrillos
- Mar De Cristal
- Mar Menor
- Mar Menor Golf Resort
- Mazarrón
- Mazarrón Country Club
- Molina de Segura
- Moratalla
- Mula
- Murcia City
- Murcia Property
- Pareton
- Peraleja Golf Resort
- Perin
- Pilar de la Horadada
- Pinar de Campoverde
- Pinoso
- Playa Honda
- Playa Honda / Playa Paraíso
- Pliego
- Portmán
- Pozo Estrecho
- Puerto de Mazarrón
- Puerto Lumbreras
- Puntas De Calnegre
- Region of Murcia
- Ricote
- Roda Golf Resort
- Roldan
- Roldan and Lo Ferro
- San Javier
- San Pedro del Pinatar
- Santiago de la Ribera
- Sierra Espuña
- Sucina
- Tallante
- Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
- Torre Pacheco
- Totana
- What's On Weekly Bulletin
- Yecla
- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Alicante Today Andalucia Today
article_detailDate Published: 18/09/2020ARCHIVED ARTICLEARCHIVED - Total of irregular Algerian migrants landing in Murcia reaches 272 and 19 boats
Almeria in neighbouring Andalucía, also reported the arrival of over 250 irregular migrants during the same 2 day period
During Wednesday and Thursday the number of boats reaching the Murcian coastline increased to 19, as pateras arrived right along the coastline of the region, from San Pedro del Pinatar to the wild beaches of Mazarrón.
On Wednesday the following boats reached Murcia containing 223 passengers:
Vessel No. 1, Intercepted 6 miles from Cartagena, 17 males,
Boat No. 2, 8 miles from Cabo Negrete, 16 males
Boat No. 3, 4 miles south of Cabo de Palos, 12 males.
Boat No. 4, 8 miles south of Cabo Aguas, 19 males.
Boat No. 5, 6 miles from Cabo Tiñoso, 15 males.
Boat No. 6, Corral beach, Mazarrón, 7 males
Boat No. 7.- at 19 nm. South of Cabo Tiñoso. 23 male immigrants
Boat No. 8.- A at 7 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 18 immigrants, all males of legal age
Vessel nº 9.- Intercepted at 11 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 16 immigrants (12 men, 3 women and 1 baby)
Boat No. 10.- At 9 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 11 male immigrants of legal age
Boat No. 11.- At 18 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso (Cartagena), 12 immigrants (9 men, 2 women and 1 minor)
Boat nº 12. Torre Derribada Beach - San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia), 15 male immigrants
Boat No. 13.- At 27 nm. South of Cabo Tiñoso, 12 immigrants (11 men and 1 woman),
Boat No. 14, at 5.5 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 18 immigrants (11 men, 3 women and 4
minors)
Boat No. 15, at 4.5 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 12 male immigrants of legal age.
Then on Thursday, 4 further boats and another 49 migrants:
Boat nº 1, coastline in La Manga. 8 males
Vessel No. 2, Intercepted 12 nautical miles south of Cartagena with 12 males
Vessel No. 3, Intercepted 6 nautical miles south of Cabo Aguas with 11 males
Vessel No. 4, Intercepted 9 nautical miles south of Cabo Palos with 18 males
In most cases the vessels were intercepted out at sea, as once it became obvious that another wave of small boats were on the way, aerial surveillance helped to identify where the boats were approaching the coast and marine rescue boats were despatched to pick them up out at sea.
The criminal gangs who organise this transport to Spain are getting better at co-ordinating the boats so that they arrive in waves, increasing the chances of some of the boats being able to land by spreading them out across a large area of coastline, as well as also launching boats to target Alicante and Almeria at the same time.
In Almeria over the same time period more than 250 people arrived in 16-17 boats (the last information published at 2am this morning indicated 16 had landed or been rescued and one was still at sea, hence the unconfirmed total). Cruz Roja in Almería say they have dealt with 3,400 irregular migrants landing in small boats so far this year.
The aim of rescue services is to intercept boats at sea to prevent the migrants dispersing once on land. Normally this is so that an attempt to repatriate them back to their country of origin can be made, although at the moment the added complication of covid means that some of the migrants are arriving as covid positives, for which reason it is necessary to covid test all of those arriving and quarantine anyone with whom the traveller had direct contact, ie anyone in the same boat.
In the last 2 days police have found themselves having to try and detain boatloads landing in Isla Plana, la Manga and San Pedro del Pinatar, who landed before they could be reached by police and started to disperse into the surrounding countryside.
This latest wave of arrivals has sparked off furious political debate, the PP accusing the PSOE socialist government delegate of turning Murcia into the Lampedusa of Spain and of leaving Murcia without the necessary resources to handle this seemingly endless wave of pateras.
Yet again, the Cruz Roja facilities in the Escombreras port area, temporarily ceded by the Cartagena Port Authority are overwhelmed by the number of new arrivals, and the police presence in the area has been increased to prevent any of the escape incidents which have made these arrivals such a politicial hot potato in the last few months.
The major problem continues to be the lack of proper accommodation, as the network of migrant transit centres remain closed, due to the closure of Moroccan and Algerian borders because of the covid crisis and the inability of the Spanish government to repatriate those who do reach Spain. This, in turn, is fuelling the numbers arriving, as it’s virtually “open doors” at the moment for anyone willing to make the crossing by sea and pay the criminal gangs up to 2,500 euros a head for their passage.
Diplomatic overtures have been made to the Algerian authorities, but as the political situation in Algeria is fragile to say the least, it’s a path that requires considerable caution.
In the meantime, the boats keep on arriving, and there’s nowhere to house the migrants that gives the level of security desired by the regional police or politicians.
Background info:
During the last few weeks the Region of Murcia has received multiple boatloads of irregular migrants from Algeria.
This year the number of migrations to Spain has been lower than normal, due prinicipally to the restrictions caused by Covid-19, but in recent weeks there has been an upsurge in activity as organised crime gangs take advantage of the opportunity to bring increased numbers of economic migrants into Spain.
The desire to seek a better life and try to find employment is understandable, as unemployment is high in Algeria, the country is suffering from severe economic problems, and opportunities, particularly for young people, are extremely limited. Political opposition against the current régime has lead to public protests and an increased level of dissatisfaction within the country, leading many particularly young people to look at Europe as potentially offering better opportunities.
A migrant we spoke to a short time ago stated that Spain was not the ultimate destination for the migrants and that many would continue their journeys to France and Belgium, although some would continue on to try and reach the UK.
Although the number of migrants targeting the Murcia region as an entry point has been more noticeable in the last 3 months, the overall totals of migrants entering Spain via the Western Mediterranean route has fallen considerably, mainly due to the almost complete absence of Moroccans making the journey to enter Europe via the Spanish coastline.
Frontex, the EU border force, reports that there were nearly 1 600 detections of illegal border crossings on the Western Mediterranean migratory route in August 2020, 7% less than in the previous month.
The total for the first eight months of 2020, was nearly half the figure from the same period in the previous year at 8,200, down 46%.
However, Algerians have accounted for nearly two-thirds of all detections on the route this year, and the August figure was six times the figure from a year ago, which ties in with the deteriorating economic and political situation in Algeria, and the border closure in Morocco, which is preventing many of the sub-Saharan migrants getting into Morocco in the first place.
The distance for Algerians to the Spanish coastline favours the Murcia Region and Alicante as chosen destinations, the increase in Algerians logically leading to an increased level of traffic to Murcia.
NB: The migrants are referred to as “irregular immigrants” by the EU; the Spanish media tend to call them “sin papeles” meaning those with no paperwork entering the country illegally, others refer to them as illegal migrants. The phrase irregular migrants is used on MT in an attempt to convey that these are not refugees, but economic migrants, in this case from Algeria, entering Spain and the EU in an illegal fashion, without passports or documentation and without any legal right to enter the EU as Algeria is not an EU member and there is no migration agreement between the two countries.Donate to Cruz Roja; Humanitarian work to ensure those arriving in Spain are treated with dignity is undertaken by the humanitarian organisation Cruz Roja. If you would like to donate, here is the link: Cruz Roja Española
Further reading
EU Action plan against Migrant Smuggling 2015/2020 Click to read
EU Directive f2008/115/EC Common standards and procedures in EU Member States for returning illegally staying third country nationals. Click to read
FRONTEX European coast guard and border control agency. This explains more about the migration issue and shows the different routes taken. Our routes here are the "Western Mediterranean" routes used principally by Moroccans And Algerians.Click Frontex
article_detail
Contact Murcia Today: Editorial 966 260 896 / Office 968 018 268
To be listed on the CAMPOSOL TODAY MAP please call +34 968 018 268.
To be listed on the CONDADO TODAY MAP please call +34 968 018 268.
Guidelines for submitting articles to Camposol Today
Hello, and thank you for choosing CamposolToday.com to publicise your organisation’s info or event.
Camposol Today is a website set up by Murcia Today specifically for residents of the urbanisation in Southwest Murcia, providing news and information on what’s happening in the local area, which is the largest English-speaking expat area in the Region of Murcia.
When submitting text to be included on Camposol Today, please abide by the following guidelines so we can upload your article as swiftly as possible:
Send an email to editor@camposoltoday.com or contact@murciatoday.com
Attach the information in a Word Document or Google Doc
Include all relevant points, including:
Who is the organisation running the event?
Where is it happening?
When?
How much does it cost?
Is it necessary to book beforehand, or can people just show up on the day?
…but try not to exceed 300 words
Also attach a photo to illustrate your article, no more than 100kb